metro

Panel clears military of forced abortions, indicts soldiers for children’s killings in N’East

Panel clears military of forced abortions, indicts soldiers for children’s killings in N’East

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has cleared the Nigerian military of allegations that it conducted forced abortions on thousands of women in the northeast, following an independent investigation by a committee led by former Supreme Court Justice Abdu Aboki. The committee was established in response to reports alleging that the military forced at least 10,000 women to undergo abortions between 2013 and 2021. However, the panel’s findings, presented in Abuja, revealed no evidence to support these claims.

 

Hilary Ogbonna, the panel’s secretary, disclosed that the investigation had instead found that a non-governmental organization (NGO) carried out abortions in the region during the specified period. “There was no evidence before the panel to prove that the Nigerian Armed Forces committed systematic, secret, or policy-driven abortions in the northeast,” Ogbonna stated. He also clarified that the committee had not found evidence of the military engaging in systematic infanticide or mass child killings as alleged in previous reports.

READ ALSO:

However, the panel did indict individual soldiers for specific acts of violence. Notably, it found members of the military responsible for a 2016 incident in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State, where soldiers reportedly set ablaze a woman and three children. Witness testimonies from survivors contributed to this finding, with the panel interviewing 199 witnesses throughout the investigation.

The NHRC’s findings seek to address the controversial allegations while holding accountable those soldiers implicated in the documented incident. The report is expected to inform further actions by the commission and may prompt follow-up investigations or legal proceedings.

Panel clears military of forced abortions, indicts soldiers for children’s killings in N’East

Trends Admin

Recent Posts

US University opens 2025 scholarships for international students

US University opens 2025 scholarships for international students Montana Technological University (Montana Tech) has opened…

7 hours ago

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS The Chief of Defence…

7 hours ago

Canadian university offers funded national scholarship program for 2025

Canadian university offers funded national scholarship program for 2025 Western University has announced that applications…

8 hours ago

Israeli strikes pound central Beirut, suburbs

Israeli strikes pound central Beirut, suburbs BEIRUT: Israeli strikes pounded a densely-populated part of the Lebanese…

8 hours ago

Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police The spokesperson for the police in Delta…

8 hours ago

Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured Gunmen kidnapped a prominent businessman, Dr. Samuel…

9 hours ago